"The American dream": 47-year-old Waffle House employee garners support as she protests against company for $16 per hour wages 

Employees of a Waffle House restaurant in Columbia, South Carolina, recently went on a strike. Amidst this, a video of a 47-year-old employee demanding fair pay and support from the company has, in particular, gained traction on social media. Several netizens reacted to the viral video, saying that the employees should not be underpaid and should be treated well.

In the video, the 47 year-old-worker says that she has been with the company for 24 years and at this time, she is only making $16 an hour. She added:

"I've been through two robberies and I've had guns in my face in 24 years. I definitely think they could do better than $16 an hour."

The lady also revealed that she has a herniated disc in her back but the Waffle House is giving her 17-hour shifts back to back. She concluded by saying that the restaurant can do better than this as she has devoted her "blood, sweat and tears" to the company over the years.

This video was shared on Reddit by a subreddit page Public Freakout. Social media user @ellemeno93 reacted to it and mockingly deemed it "The American Dream":

Social media user's reaction (Image via snip from Reddit/@ellemeno93)

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Internet users rally in support of the Waffle House worker

As the social media users came across the video of the 47-year-old worker who was getting $16 an hour, they started showing support for the lady, pointing out that fair pay should be every person's right. Some internet users said that the company can do "a lot better." One netizen also said that the woman reminded her of The Great Depression.

Netizens' reaction (Image via snip from Reddit/PublicFreakout)

Internet users' reaction (Image via snip from Reddit/PublicFreakout)

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Mandatory salary deductions a big concern for Waffle House employees

In an emailed statement to Nation's Restaurant News, Njeri Boss, vice president of public relations at Waffle House, expressed the company's pride in its history of efficiently resolving any concerns brought forward by its associates, emphasizing their commitment to addressing these matters directly.

Amidst the ongoing protests, the waffle place's employees raised their voices, chanting, "treat your employees with fairness." The concerns expressed included one employee's worry about mandatory meal deductions from her salary, even when she didn't consume an employee meal.

Others highlighted the issue of understaffing, which often deprived them of proper meal breaks, while the salary deductions remained unchanged.

Notably, this waffle place is a popular restaurant chain in the United States that specializes in serving breakfast foods. It was founded in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia, and has since expanded to over 2,000 locations across 25 states in the southeastern and midwestern regions of the country.

This place is known for its casual dining atmosphere and is often open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.